Essential Soft Skills Training for Technical Roles Moving into People Management

Created by Josh Bersin, this course specifically addresses the unique challenges of managing engineers and developers. It covers the distinction between technical contribution and leadership, offering practical frameworks for performance reviews and career coaching.

Provided by Harvard Business School Online, this program focuses on the core competencies of management including leading teams, making decisions, and creating value. It offers a robust foundation in interpersonal dynamics and organizational behavior for new managers.

Taught by Yale University, this course explores the critical role of empathy, self-awareness, and social skill in leadership. It is essential for technical managers who need to build trust and psychological safety within their teams.

This intensive workshop helps individual contributors navigate the cultural shift from doing the work to enabling others to do it. It provides actionable strategies for the first three months in a new management role, focusing on listening and relationship building.

Based on Kim Scott's bestselling book, this training teaches managers how to care personally while challenging directly. It is highly relevant for technical leaders who must give critical feedback on code and design without damaging relationships.

This training equips managers with skills to handle high-stakes, emotional, or risky conversations effectively. It is vital for technical managers who need to discuss performance issues, project failures, or conflicting technical opinions with their teams.

Offered by the University of Colorado Boulder, this course covers the fundamentals of leadership including motivation, group dynamics, and ethical decision-making. It provides a broad theoretical framework that complements practical technical management skills.

Brené Brown's program focuses on brave leadership, vulnerability, and courageous culture building. It helps technical managers create environments where innovation thrives by encouraging risk-taking and open dialogue about failures.

Provided by Pluralsight, this learning path is tailored specifically for engineering leaders. It covers agile leadership, hiring strategies, and removing impediments for developers, bridging the gap between technical expertise and people management.

From Columbia University, this course delves into the intersection of leadership effectiveness and emotional intelligence. It helps technical professionals understand how their emotional responses impact team morale and productivity.

Based on the book by Mark Horstman, this training focuses on the four core competencies of management: one-on-ones, coaching, team meetings, and task delegation. It offers a no-nonsense approach to becoming a competent manager quickly.

While primarily a book, many organizations offer workshops based on Andy Grove's seminal work. It teaches managers to view their output as the output of their team, emphasizing leverage through meetings, decisions, and planning.

This course from Scrum.org focuses on the servant leadership mindset required in agile environments. It teaches technical managers how to foster self-organization, remove blockers, and facilitate collaboration without micromanaging.

Offered by many universities on Coursera, this specialization teaches how to navigate interpersonal conflicts constructively. It is crucial for technical managers who must mediate disputes between developers or between engineering and product teams.

This course from the University of Virginia helps managers align team goals with broader organizational strategy. It enables technical leaders to communicate the 'why' behind projects, ensuring their teams understand the business impact of their code.

A practical guide from LinkedIn Learning on how to give continuous feedback rather than relying solely on annual reviews. It teaches techniques for constructive criticism and recognition that motivate technical professionals.

This training focuses on creating diverse and inclusive teams, which is increasingly important in tech. It covers unconscious bias, inclusive hiring practices, and fostering a culture where all team members feel they belong.

Based on Michael Bungay Stanier's book, this training emphasizes asking powerful questions rather than giving answers. It is ideal for technical managers who are tempted to solve problems directly instead of empowering their team.

This comprehensive course from HBR covers writing, public speaking, and listening skills tailored for managers. It helps technical professionals articulate complex ideas clearly to stakeholders, executives, and their direct reports.

Focusing on the art of letting go, this training teaches technical managers how to assign tasks effectively without losing control. It covers matching tasks to team members' skills and providing clear expectations to avoid bottlenecks.